The First
by fennecfawkes
Summary: Chad/Ryan. Oneshot. All things new. Not my characters, not at all; I'd never name someone Sharpay.


Chad Danforth rarely got nervous. And now, he found, when he did, it felt really, really _weird_.

He was getting dressed, paying more attention to what he wore than usual. It didn't seem right to ignore how he looked when he was going out with someone who cared so much about clothing and style.

Going out with someone. Someone he liked, someone he'd liked for longer than he cared to admit. Ryan Evans. Just the name generated a whole new layer of sweat on his palms. Hopefully, Ryan wouldn't notice him freaking out today. All they were doing was going to a movie and grabbing some dinner. It couldn't be too hard, could it?

Of course, it wasn't easy when Ryan pulled up in one of the Evans family's many amazing cars and honked the horn twice. Those cars. Those damn cars. Why did he have to do that, spoil Chad like this? Of course, Chad was thrilled about it, but he still didn't understand why Ryan cared about him, and it still made him worry that something would change...

But no. He shouldn't. Because someone was interested in him, and for once, he was interested back. No matter how long this lasted, Chad was going to hold onto it.

"You look really nice, Chad," Ryan said as he got into the car.

"Thanks. So do you." Of course he did. He always did. "You always do." Too much? Judging from the smile on Ryan's face, no, it was just enough. Then silence settled around them, and all Chad could hear was Patti LuPone singing something flowery from _Les Miserables_. As of yet, Chad hadn't revealed to Ryan just how much he knew about Broadway shows and musical theatre. It was all his mom's fault. But that would come in time.

"So..." Chad began. "Weather's nice."

Ryan laughed. "It's New Mexico in June. It's always the same. It's always nice."

"Yeah, I know," said Chad, feeling a little stupid.

"Hey." They pulled up to a red light and Ryan put a hand on Chad's thigh. Chad did his best to ignore the sudden burning feeling in the lower half of his body. "You don't have to force conversation. You don't have to be nervous. We can just ... be. OK?"

"Was I that obvious?"

"Pretty obvious, yeah," said Ryan, smiling, and not taking his hand away as he began driving again. Chad told himself it wasn't that distracting. "Really, don't worry. I know this is probably weird for you."

"Well, I've never gone out with a guy before."

"You've never gone out with anyone before. At least, no one that meant anything."

"True. Have you?"

Ryan shrugged and said easily, "Once or twice. Not like this, though." His eyes flitted from the wheel for a couple seconds to look at Chad. "I've wanted you since seventh grade."

Chad laughed. "Seriously?"

"Seriously," said Ryan, also laughing.

"Well. That's ... flattering."

"And sad."

"That too."

Silence struck again, but this time, it felt comfortable. Ryan turned up the music slightly. They'd gotten to "Castle on a Cloud." It always cracked Chad's mom up when he sang along in an over the top falsetto. He wondered if Ryan would like that, too. Apparently, the time had come for Ryan to learn something new about Chad. So he jumped in on the next line.

"She's nice to see and she's soft to touch," Chad drawled, high pitched as he could. "She says, 'Cosette, I love you very much.'"

Ryan laughed just as hard as Chad's mom ever had as Chad continued singing, pretending to take the song very, very seriously. He even spoke the dialogue in the voice of a pathetic French moppet.

"Nice young Cosette!" Ryan said, catching his breath. "So, how long have you known all the words to _Les Miz_?"

"Oh, I might've been 9 when my mom got obsessed," said Chad. "Impressed, then?"

"Of course." Ryan grinned at him. Chad tried his hardest not to melt, or have his heart pop out of his chest, or something else equally hyperbolic. Tentatively, he put his hand over Ryan's. Although he hadn't thought it would be possible, Chad watched Ryan's grin widen as they turned into the movie theatre parking lot.

"So, what are we seeing?" Ryan asked on the way in.

"I don't know. I get the feeling we don't have the same taste in movies, though."

"What, you don't appreciate the subtleties of foreign tragicomedies from the 50s?" Ryan mock-pouted, and Chad laughed.

"Can't say I've ever seen a foreign tragicomedy from the 50s."

"I have a lot to teach you, Chad," said Ryan. They settled on a regular old comedy. Chad supposed afterward that it was probably a funny movie, judging from the crowd's reaction. But if asked for a review, he wouldn't have been able to provide an opinion. Maybe if he were asked for his opinion on how Ryan kissed instead...

He'd let Ryan steer him to the very back of the theatre, and he was glad he had. No one seemed to notice that the two of them were otherwise occupied throughout the movie. And later, when his mom asked how the movie was, Chad caught himself before he said "Delicious."

Dinner tasted fine, too, though not quite as fine as certain other things Chad could think of. Well, thing. Well, OK, person. But for the time being, looking at him across the table was satisfying enough.

"I'd say for a first date, this is going pretty well, don't you think?" Ryan asked him after they ordered.

Chad laughed. "It's a little early to say, don't you think? I mean, I could really mess stuff up in the next hour."

"We're only going to be together for another hour?" Chad couldn't quite tell if it was a mock pout on Ryan's face this time around.

"Well, I don't have any other plans, if you wanted to hang out more," said Chad. Come to think of it, he'd told Troy he could shoot hoops for a bit that night. But never mind that. Troy would understand. He'd blown Chad off for Gabriella plenty of times. Wait, had he? Chad was sure he had at least a few times. OK, maybe once or twice. But this would be fine. After all, Chad had never had a boyfriend before, if that was what Ryan was.

"Awesome," Ryan said, grinning. "You should come over. You've never seen the inside of my room, have you?"

"Is that a come on?" Chad asked without thinking. Ryan blushed, something Chad had never seen.

"Relax. I'm joking."

"Right," said Ryan, nodding, still blushing as the waitress brought their order.

"I didn't think anything embarrassed you," Chad commented, taking a bite of his burger after carefully slicing it in half.

"And I didn't think you'd be a neat eater," said Ryan. "We're both full of surprises."

Indeed, they were. For instance, Chad didn't expect to see a giant, ancient poster of Nolan Ryan next to a Rent cast photo in Ryan's bedroom. Ryan laughed when he noticed Chad looking at the poster.

"What, you don't remember when I nearly kicked your ass in baseball last summer?"

"It's just ... I don't know, I didn't know you still cared about it," said Chad.

Ryan looked thoughtful. "I really love baseball. I just happen to love theatre more. Wouldn't mind playing catch every now and then, though, if you wanted."

"I could do that. I'll go easy on you."

Ryan eased himself down onto his bed. Chad looked around. There were a ridiculously high number of places to sit, considering this was a bedroom. But no space looked as inviting as the empty one next to Ryan. He took it, and Ryan smiled at him, near seductively.

"Good choice," Ryan said softly. He looked at Chad and leaned in slightly.

"Are we dating?" Chad blurted out. Ryan looked a bit taken aback, but he laughed easily.

"Normally, I'd wait three dates to say so," he said. "But in your case, yeah, I think we are. Are you comfortable with the idea of having a boyfriend?"

"I think so," said Chad. "Are you?"

"As long as it's you, yes."

And Ryan kissed him.

It wasn't as though it was the first time that day. Hell, it wasn't even the first time since they'd come in the house, where Ryan slammed Chad back against the refrigerator before retrieving a couple bottles of Stella Artois. But this one felt different. It was softer, and less rushed, and sweeter, and it lasted much, much longer.

This was a boyfriend kiss.

And Chad could certainly handle more like that.


End file.
